


The Chance to Fly

by Rubynye



Category: Brave (2012), Crossover: Brave/How to Train Your Dragon, How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Genre: F/F, First Time, flight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 04:00:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1290520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/pseuds/Rubynye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merida makes a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Chance to Fly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ilthit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilthit/gifts).



> All Thanks To: [](http://oxoniensis.livejournal.com/profile)[**oxoniensis**](http://oxoniensis.livejournal.com/) for the [Porn Battle](http://oxoniensis.livejournal.com/540728.html), and [](http://ilthit.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://ilthit.dreamwidth.org/)**ilthit** for the glorious prompt.  
>  Title from "Defying Gravity" because that's what these girls do.

Straightening her spine against the chair back, Merida strives not to sigh. It's high summer, which means envoys, who mean long days at audience in the Great Hall, and thence much boredom. But her Mam asked her -- _asked_ \-- to attend today's sessions, so upon her honor Merida sits at attention and strives to appear awake. Each envoy in turn strides out, puffed up with the importance of his message, which is never anything half so interesting as riding Angus into the summer woods, the wind raking through her hair, sending arrows flying --

. Horned helmets. Merida blinks and focuses. One is a man as wide as her Da, all trunk and beard, missing an arm and leg; beside him stands a girl in breeches with three thick braids of straw-colored hair, a potato-shaped nose, and a wide grin. A roar like a pleased bear's rises in Merida's ears as the girl's grin widens, her head tilting invitingly. "-- and my assistant Ruffnut," Merida hears the man say as he points to the girl, who bows, never taking her eyes off Merida, who can't take her eyes off her. "And her strange beast, which --"

"Let me see to its stabling!" Merida pops to her feet, startling her parents beside her. She stops herself with one foot forward and looks to her Mam -- waiting to be properly dismissed is part of their deal. Her Mam looks down at Ruffnut, then over at Da, who nods, and turns back to Merida with confused eyes, but a nod of her own. That's all she needs. "Thank you, royal parents!" Merida cries as she skips down the steps towards Ruffnut's smile.

*** 

The beast is beyond strange, it is _fabulous_ , pony-sized, lizard-scaly and dog-friendly, striped red and gold, steaming with the scent of hot metal, its wings broader than Merida's height. And its breath! Puffs of flaming light! It rolls beneath Merida's hands, wriggling happily as she scratches its heated belly, and Ruffnut laughs scratchily beside them. "Emberflake's the biggest Flamehuffer ever seen," she says proudly, tickling behind its spine-fringed ears. "Back home my brother and I have a two-headed Zippleback, but Emberflake journeys better, much less puking."

"You've more?" Merida looks up to see if Ruffnut's teasing.

"We live with a whole colony of 'em!" Her bright grin is genuine. "And the best part is --" Ruffnut whistles, and Emberflake rolls into the air, flapping up a wind around their heads as it presents its back just like a horse -- "We can ride her! Come on!" Ruffnut swings a leg over, holding out her hand, and Merida knows how to ride. Ruffnut's rough strong fingers close on hers, Emberflake's back is pleasantly ridged and warm as sun-heated rock, there's a great whirling of wind as she gathers and springs, and the ground falls away as they soar!

Merida shrieks and grabs Ruffnut tightly round her ribs; Ruffnut laughs and flings her arms out to tease, clinging with just her legs as Emberflake bears them up into the sky. The castle and keep plummet to tiny grey circles in the green, the forest is a flow of dark shadows, its trees tinier than embroidered stitches. The sky expands endlessly, they rush through limitless light-shot blue. Emberflake roars a happy gout of orange flame and Ruffnut tips her head back onto Merida's shoulder, her braids flapping round Merida's waist and her frame firm and warm under Merida's hands as the wind pours over them. As they fly!

Merida squeezes till Ruffnut's ribs flex beneath her arms, digging her fingers into Ruffnut's leather vest, and shrieks again for sheer streaming joy. Ruffnut huffs and grasps Merida's wrists but doesn't pry her arms away. Instead she shouts, "Ember, more!" and Emberflake flies the faster, between pearly flowing clouds and the golden-burning Sun, bearing them to the point of an invisible cliff -- "Ee-yah!" Ruffnut cries, clutching Merida's wrists as Merida clutches her, and they plummet, the wind buffeting them with a million rough kisses, a silver river unfurling between the swelling trees. Merida's belly lurches but not badly, she laughs for defiant glee, and Ruffnut's knees flex, reining in Emberflake an arm's length above the sheet of water, so daintily the surface barely ruffles.

"What'd you think?" Ruffnut asks over her shoulder, grin tilted.

Merida's head's so full of rushing wind and streaming light she can only think of one word. "Again! Again!"

"Up we go!" Ruffnut shouts, Emberflake bellows, and Merida holds on.

*** 

Merida and Ruffnut stagger into the great hall at dusk, laughing and hanging on each other's arms. Emberflake waddles contentedly behind them, stuffed so full of salmon she could barely fly them home, and greets the hall with a snuffling burst of yellow flame.

This proves to be a slight mistake. Some shrieking and running and a half-burnt tapestry later, Merida and Ruffnut have tugged Emberflake back outside by her collar, despite her excited curiosity and wing-beating protest. As they push her into the stone-walled birthing stall at the far end of the stables, Merida laughs, sweeping her hair back from her face to better see Ruffnut's twinkling eyes. "She need you with her?" she asks of Emberflake. "I can bring some blankets."

"Oh, thanks!" Ruffnut flops loose-limbed down beside Emberflake, resting her head on her flank. "I was going to just sneak out after everyone's asleep. Gobber went on half the journey how I should _behave_ and _represent our village_ …" It's the first time Merida's seen Ruffnut frown. "But this is all unfamiliar -- for her, I mean," and Merida knows enough to just nod. "She'll feel better if I stay with her. Thank you."

"Aye, thank you," Merida answers. "For today. For the flight."

Petting Emberflake, Ruffnut's eyelids flicker as she smiles.

*** 

Merida eases open the midden door. The predawn light is dim beneath clouds, this particular door is known to squeak, and she's still in yesterday's court gown, having fallen asleep beside Ruffnut, her head pillowed on Emberflake's warm side. She yawns and smiles, the door lets a _skreek_ and she winces. "Easy, easy," she murmurs as if to a horse, and the door quiets long enough for her to slip inside.

The castle still sleeps. Merida goes a-tiptoe by the kitchens, filches a sweet roll from yesterday's baking, then gathers three more as insurance. She almost takes a fifth for Ruffnut, but she can't carry more just in her hands, and soon enough she'll go out to look about their guests as a hospitable lady should. But first, a wash and a fresh gown.

Sure enough, by the royal chambers she meets the triplets, on their way to steal an extra breakfast. As each brother makes to shout Merida shoves a roll in his gob, then dashes between them and runs on toe tips down to her room. If they raise the cry on her they'll lose their chance for more, and she should have most of an hour before --

Merida's Mam sits calmly upon her bed, reading a blue-bound book. "Morning," she says, standing, as Merida's heart flies up into her throat. "I trust you rested well?"

"Mam -- I was -- I mean -- " Merida windmills to a stop and surrenders, her pulse drumming confusion as her Mam smiles and reaches to pat her head.

"You've straw in your hair," Mam tells her. "Best get that out before the morning audiences." She clasps her hands before her, Preparing To Speak, and here it comes. "Your father and I noticed how taken you are with the young lady from Berk." Merida nods, chin and heart sinking. "A princess must not forget her responsibilities. And a girl deserves to have friends." Merida looks up, feeling her eyes go round. "If you attend the daily morning sessions, Merida, and do all your lessons without fail, you may have from midday onwards with your new friend till the envoys depart."

"Mam! Oh, thank you!" Merida hugs her mother, who gives her a squeeze, then claps her on the back.

"That includes today! I'll see you at breakfast in a half hour." Flipping the sandglass, Mam retrieves her book and leaves Merida to do a dance of delight before she changes gowns and beats her hair into surrender.

Thus Merida and Ruffnut go adventuring every day, whether racing Angus and Emberflake across the green, or deep into the light-flecked darkness of the woods, or up into the skies and over the mountain crags. They race three climbs up the Fire Falls (Merida wins twice and Ruffnut once), but never climb down, as each time Ruffnut whistles up Emberflake and leaps across empty air upon her back, then turns, grinning, and holds out her hands. Merida leaps too each time, through the streaming wind, and Ruffnut catches her in solid arms.

The summer flows along in companionable joy, till the acorns begin to fall from beneath reddening leaves, till the air grows crisp and the envoys begin to depart bearing letters and gifts and treaties to their distant homes. Merida tells Ruffnut of how three years gone she mostly-accidentally had her mother enchanted into a bear; Ruffnut demands to meet the Witch, so they leave Emberflake to enjoy a roasted pig and ride Angus out into the woods.

They find neither the Witch's cottage nor the circle of standing stones, but when the blue-glowing wisps come out to bob about their heads Ruffnut gasps and clutches Merida tightly, trembling against her back. Merida tilts her grin more bravely than she feels, tosses her head and boldly follows the wisps where their light trails lead.

A great mother-oak rises from the forest gloom, long gnarled limbs stretching across a rough circle of mulch and moss. Angus refuses to approach, so they dismount, folding their hands tightly together, and step beneath the oak's boughs. Ruffnut tosses herself down in a hollow between two upthrust roots, and Merida sits astride one beside her and waits for the words they've both been dreading for over a week.

"We're leaving soon," Ruffnut says into the hush. "Maybe tomorrow or the next day. Gobber's done haggling, the steel's all packed, winter's on its way."

"Aye," Merida murmurs, and Ruffnut sits up, frowning as a stormcloud.

"So that's it?" Ruffnut folds her arms. "You don't care if I go?"

"Of course I care!" Merida waves hers hands over her head. "But we have our duties! I can't just demand you stay!"

"You're the princess, you can demand what you want!"

"Would that I could!" Merida laughs, throat tightening, and slides down to tuck her side against Ruffnut's. "But I can't. Nor come with you," she adds before Ruffnut temps her and she can't refuse. "We have our duties," she repeats, echoing her Mam's voice inside her head.

Ruffnut huffs, looking down. Then she looks up, and presses her lips to Merida's. A kiss, a sweet shock; Merida gasps, and Ruffnut pulls back, eyes wide and gleaming in the gloom.

That just won't do. "Again," Merida whispers, "Again, again," until Ruffnut grins, reaches for her with both arms, and kisses all the words from her mouth.

They kiss and kiss, pressed tightly each to each, flame threading through warmth. Ruffnut touches her tongue to Merida's, pleasure like a lightning strike, Merida whimpers and Ruffnut laughs and does it again, pulling Merida to parry, stroke for tongue-stroke, bright-hot nip for nip.

Ruffnut pulls her arms back, but only to shrug from her vest and shove it up behind Merida's head; Merida tangles trembling fingers in Ruffnut's jerkin laces, working by distracted feel as Ruffnut growls into their kiss. It looses enough to push hands within, over Ruffnut's fevered skin, curved to her flexing back, and Ruffnut tugs at Merida's bodice, kisses her cheek and chin as in a ballad, lays a burning line of kisses down her throat and uncovers her bubbies and takes one in her slick hot mouth! Merida gasps again and Ruffnut looks up, searching her face; she realizes Ruffnut is making sure of her assent, and shapes her shocked mouth to a smile.

Then all she can do is smile, when Ruffnut grins, and rasps, "I've flown this way too before," and returns to suckling at her, to pushing long hands up her thighs. Merida pushes off Ruffnut's helmet and digs her fingers into deep straw-yellow hair, clinging as she trembles, parting her thighs for Ruffnut's hands to stroke between them. The fire arcs through her, from tongue-flicked nipple to finger-flicked nub, and Merida arches up for more, closing her fists in Ruffnut's hair, shuddering into helpless cries as bottomless joy sweeps through her, once and again and a third all screams and writhes, before Ruffnut lets her settle to landing. It's many heaving breaths, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, before Merida blinks open wet lashes to watch Ruffnut sucking her fingers, to hear her happy moan.

Merida breathes once more, reaches and twists, rolling Ruffnut to her back. "Teach me how," she demands, and Ruffnut opens her breeches and guides Merida's hand in as their mouths meet again. Ruffnut tastes muskier now, and Merida realizes. a sizzling shock going through her, that she's tasting herself.

Ruffnut pulls back a little, but only to instruct. "There, there," she murmurs over Merida's lips, arms round Merida's back holding her close. "Come on, harder, don't be -- oh yes, like that!" Merida groans from the sheer delight in Ruffnut's voice and kisses her again, their tongues tangled even as Ruffnut growls up into a tingling shriek, her thighs tightening on Merida's wrist. Merida keeps her strokes going as Ruffnut rocks into her moving touch, as Ruffnut digs fierce fingers into her back, shakes fit to come apart, and screams again for her, into her.

A different note slips into Ruffnut's gasps, and Merida lets her up to breathe. Ruffnut slumps and Merida tugs her hand loose, but only so she can lick her fingers curiously. Salt-savor, musk, sharp honey. "You taste good," Merida says, and Ruffnut's teeth shine in her soft laugh.

"You taste delicious," she answers, curling her fingers around Merida's wrist, drawing her down for another kiss.

Her eyes have grown weary, her sinews unstrung, and when this kiss ends Merida lays her heavy head on Ruffnut's jerkin-veiled breasts, pressing a kiss between them over her heart. "Thank you," she murmurs, "for taking me flying," and Ruffnut's chuckle sounds akin to a sob, Ruffnut's damp fingers curl tenderly over her cheek.

*** 

Fall sinks to winter, winter rises to spring, and Merida grows and rides and dreams of flying with Ruffnut. The bad weather blows in and out by turns, until one fine day she's currying Angus when Hamish arrives shouting, "Come to the audience hall! Quick, quick! We've an envoy, months early! Quick!"

Merida can barely do more than splash her hands and face with water and dust the worst of the horsehair off her dress before Hamish drags her by her elbow. "Easy on," she protests as he all but tosses her into the audience hall, where her parents sit smiling.

Where Ruffnut stands, and turns, and grins at Merida from beneath her four-horned helmet. "Hello, Princess," Ruffnut says, loud and bold, and Merida's heels lift from the floor as she flies into Ruffnut's outflung arms.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] The Chance to Fly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1330165) by [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins), [Rubynye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/pseuds/Rubynye)




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